Clans of Luteri Bk. 02 Ch. 08-End

Jaime dropped the reins over the mount's neck and moved forward quickly, Kane closing the distance between them and catching him up, hugging him fiercely, laughing, releasing him and then taking him up again, pounding him on the back. Jaime was grinning and laughing with him, returning his embrace as everyone looked on.

"I am so glad to see you, my friend, I can hardly contain it," Kane said in Alverian, stepping back and blinking hard, clapping him on the shoulder, Jaime staggering a little and recovering.

"I am so very pleased to see you as well, Kane, I can't tell you how much," Jaime said as Kane swiped his eyes, sniffing.

Jaime glanced at Ruthe and the Corsaire warriors, all of them still expressionless, watching. He leaned in, speaking Alverian.

"Is everything all right, Kane? Those are Corsaire clan warriors, are they not? I wasn't sure what to do when we emerged from Noëthe lands and they surrounded us, but they haven't said a word. I admit it was disconcerting. We got here in one less day because they took us through Corsaire lands—beautiful Aspen trees, have you been there?—but I was afraid to speak to them since they didn't greet us and I was unsure of the protocol."

Kane laughed, putting his hand on Jaime's shoulder. He glanced at Ruthe, who had not left, watching. Ruthe was curious. Kane responded in Alverian.

"You did well, and I would never leave you to my enemies, Jaime. I told you in my letters, Corsaire are our allies now. I did not know Ruthe would do you the honor of allowing you through Corsaire lands and escorting you to Tavishi. We do extravagant favors for each other to ensure the peace and so that we can still continue to insult each other. It is now my turn, and I must give Ruthe something he will like."

"That's good to hear," Jaime said, turning and holding out his hand, the young woman Kane remembered coming and taking it. "This is Margaret, Kane, whom you met in Alveria," Jaime said, his eyes dancing. "Margaret is my wife. I wanted to surprise you. We were married last year."

Kane turned to her and grinned.

"I predicted it when I met you, Margaret," Kane said, glancing at Jaime, who was smiling proudly, "that you would be my friend's oath. I am so pleased."

He was unable to stop himself from sweeping her up gently as well. She was so tiny. He released her, stepping back. She smiled up at him, sweet, her hand going to her hair, brushing it back from her face a little.

"Maggie, please, Kane," she warbled, gesturing. "Only Jaime calls me Margaret. I had no idea our arrival would be so dramatic. Jaime told me how large the Luterian horses were, but I never imagined any that large. I have been observing them, and they appear to be almost predatory, it's very unusual, have you noticed?"

Kane laughed.

"I have noticed, Maggie, and you are still a born naturalist. I'm looking forward to my father meeting you. He will like you very much."

Kane turned to Lenore next, taking her hand and bowing over it, and then Trevin, holding out his hand as the man shook it heartily. Kane stepped back, speaking to them both.

"Welcome to Luteri, Lenore, Trevin," Kane said. "I am happy you accepted my invitation, and to have you here."

The Mistrals were happy as well, judging from their manner, and maybe a little relieved to see him, Trevin glancing briefly at their expressionless Corsaire escort.

"You couldn't possibly believe we wouldn't come, Kane," Trevin said warmly. "We have been preparing and anticipating it since you invited us. It is the greatest adventure, and we can't thank you enough."

"You are welcome here. All my clan welcomes you here," Kane returned.

Kane glanced at Ruthe and then at Shaol and then he turned to Lenore, a small smile on his mouth.

"Would you like to greet Shaol, Lenore?" Kane asked her. "I don't think he would mind if you rode him a little. He has missed your presence."

Strong excitement came into Lenore's eyes and then she looked worried.

"I thought, Kane, that you didn't want your clan to know you had allowed it? I would not betray your confidence."

"I know you would not have said anything, Lenore," Kane said, grinning, turning to Shaol and gesturing. "But it is too late. Shaol has already seen you."

And Shaol had seen her. Lenore turned to look at the horse. Shaol's ears were up, his head up, staring straight at her, very still. He suddenly extended his neck and gave an ear-shattering, peeling cry, greeting her.

Ruthe noticed it as well, giving Lenore a puzzled glance, then a suspicious glare at Kane. The Corsaire heir grimly got off his horse and walked toward them, coming to stand at Kane's side.

"Thank you, Kane, thank you," Lenore said happily, walking quickly to approach the stallion, who was dancing in anticipation, looking at her.

"Shaol, you beauty, you wonderful, gorgeous Luterian warhorse," she crooned, twisting her hair and tossing it over her shoulder, hiking her skirts impatiently.

In a moment she was on his back, scaling his great side as if she had only seen him yesterday, turning Shaol with her legs. Her lips flattened and she gave a great piercing Luterian war whistle as Kane had done. She leaned forward as Shaol gathered himself and shot off across the land at full speed, Lenore clinging to his back, her whoop drifting back to them.

Ruthe turned to Kane, looking hungry, his eyes narrowing and his lips stretching into a fierce grin.

"You let an Alverian female ride your horse, Tavishi?" he said softly.

Kane looked away from his face, watching Lenore on Shaol.

"Thank you for escorting my friends, Ruthe," Kane replied. "I will leave it to you to tell all the clans. Make it humiliating. I would not want you to waste this opportunity."

Ruthe's smile widened, and then he was laughing in delight.

"I almost believe a day will come when I won't hate you so much, Tavishi. Thank you. I have not been this happy in years," Ruthe said when he could. "I promise I will not waste your gift and that I will do my very best to make sure you regret it."

They watched as Lenore turned Shaol around and rode back to them, handling him effortlessly. When they arrived, she threw her leg over his neck and leapt to the ground, looking for a moment like she was flying, landing easily and dropping his reins.

She walked to the warhorse's front and Shaol actually lowered himself so she could throw her arms around his great head, which she could barely reach around, and that Shaol endured as her hands went to him. Soon he was leaning and twisting for better places to scratch. She finally released him and walked toward them, her cheeks flushed, her plainness made beautiful. Ruthe watched her with interest.

Ruthe looked at Jaime.

"I am Ruthe of Corsaire," he said to him stiffly in Luterian, as if unsure Jaime knew the language or had manners.

Jaime immediately turned to face him, inclining his head.

"I am Jaime of Alveria," Jaime answered in the same. "I and my companions—this is Trevin and that is Lenore, his oath, and this is Margaret, who is my oath—thank you for the honor of your escort through Corsaire territory, Ruthe of Corsaire."

Ruthe's brows went up and he eyed Jaime.

"I have heard you sheltered Aslin, my cousin, while she was in Alveria, and that you are her friend," Ruthe said slowly, looking at him now as if Jaime were more real to him, taking in his clothing, his face.

"I am pleased to call myself Aslin's friend, yes," Jaime said.

Ruthe's eyes ran over the Alverians again, who stood patiently under his perusal.

"Tell the little Alverian female she has a strong seat," Ruthe said to Jaime, gesturing at her.

"Ruthe of Corsaire admires your skills in riding horses, Lenore," Jaime said to her in Alverian. "It is a high compliment from Luterians."

"Why are there so many more words that you say?" Ruthe said to Jaime suspiciously.

"I am translating the meaning and not just the words, Ruthe, so she understands, drawing from my own knowledge of Alverians and my experiences with Luterians from Tavishi Hold and my long friendship with Kane. What I said to her exactly was: 'Ruthe of Corsaire admires your skills in riding horses, Lenore. It is a high compliment from Luterians.'"

Ruthe eyed him again.

"That is intelligent," Ruthe said.

"Please tell Ruthe of Corsaire," Lenore said to Jaime in Alverian with solemn intensity, "that Luterian horses are the most beautiful, the most intelligent and spirited, the most magnificent horses ever to live and in the whole world and I have loved them with all of my heart since I knew about them."

Jaime translated that faithfully, raising Ruthe's brows, who looked Lenore over and cocked his head for a moment. He looked at Jaime again, narrowing his eyes, then Maggie, who smiled at him sweetly. Ruthe's mouth quirked at her, taking her in top to bottom and back. He looked at Trevin, who was gazing at Lenore, enrapt, a small smile on his mouth before meeting Ruthe's eyes. Trevin shrugged at him, grinning, and Ruthe's smile got wider.

Ruthe took a step back and gestured, his hand turned inward, to his forehead, his chest, and then toward Lenore, and Trevin, and Jaime, and Maggie. He spoke to Jaime.

"Tell them. The horsewoman is invited to Corsaire Hold, and the one who has given her his oath, and you, red-haired Jaime, and your oath, the pretty little songbird, in three days, staying for five. If you decide to come, while you are in Corsaire territory you will be under the protection of Corsaire. Our allies will be your allies. Our enemies will be your enemies. I will show the tiny horsewoman my Borta, Shaol's bloodline, over which I have authority."

Jaime turned to them and translated.

"Ruthe of Corsaire invites all four of us to Corsaire Hold in the morning in three days, staying for five days and nights. While we are there, the Corsaire clan will protect us, and we will share their clan relationships, their enemies and their allies. Ruthe would like to show you horses from Shaol's bloodline, Lenore, the Borta, which he is personally responsible for breeding."

Lenore's eyes became huge and she walked forward to stand directly in front of Ruthe.

"Thank you, Ruthe of Corsaire." she breathed. "Thank you, yes, I will come, absolutely I will come."

Ruthe looked at the tiny Alverian woman vibrating in front of him and then at Jaime and burst into laughter.

"I do not need a translation," Ruthe said. "She is fiery, Jaime, like our clan's women. I like these Alverian females."

Jaime came and stood beside her, smiling.

"Ruthe says you have Corsaire fire, Lenore, and that he likes the women from Alveria," Jaime translated, and then turned and said to Ruthe in Luterian, "I wouldn't want you to get the wrong impression, Ruthe of Corsaire. Lenore is entirely unique among Alverians."

Ruthe eyed him with interest and then laughed again, walking to his horse. Corsaire were looking at the four Alverians, no longer expressionless but curious now. Ruthe mounted.

"I am off to spread the word of your humiliation, Tavishi. I have work to do, if I am to make sure even the most remote Prash hears of it," he said cheerfully to Kane.

"I expected nothing less of you, Ruthe," Kane answered, making a disgusted face.

Ruthe's glance grew sly.

"Will you tell my cousin Aslin hello from me and to forgive me soon because I miss her? And your beautiful sister Helene that I greet her and hope she will go walking with me again before long."

Kane glared at him. Ruthe smirked as Kane put his hands behind his back and looked up as if trying to commit the message to memory, reviewing it.

"Let me see if I have it. You give your greetings to Aslin and wish her well despite the fact she wants to gut you at the moment, and to tell Helene you don't want to go through with the oath ceremony in a month and that you dearly hope she finds a man who is worthy of her from her own clan so she can stay home like she should instead of going to the clan of a black-eyed blathering Corsaire."

"See what I'm saying, Kane," Ruthe said reasonably, gesturing. "You think you are funny when you're not. Every time I see you I have to point this out, it's like you're not very bright."

Ruthe's lips flattened and he gave the whistling command, and on that parting shot Corsaire turned as one and left.

"Where is Aslin, Kane?" Jaime said. "Is she all right?"

Kane's face went absent for a long moment and then animation came back into it. Jaime stared at him curiously.

"She is well, Jaime, and impatient to see you," Kane replied in Alverian as they all remounted their horses.

Kane rode Shaol through the open gates, Jaime and Maggie at his sides on the much smaller horses, the Mistrals close behind them. Tavishi clan stopped to stare, some waving to Jaime, calling his name, who returned their greetings, pleased.

"The ship was late," Kane continued, "and we didn't know when to expect you. We asked Noëthe clan to look for you, and I came as soon as I heard you were at the Tavishi gates with Corsaire a day early. Aslin has been in the stables with Ilian for two days, who is about to foal. I have told her the animal doesn't need her help, but she won't leave Ilian's side. The mare's time has reminded Aslin she is angry with Ruthe for breeding Ilian, and she's not speaking to him, and she is still a little upset with me that I would not restart the feud on her horse's behalf. Are you going to accept Ruthe's invitation?"

Jaime looked worried.

"I don't think I could keep Lenore from it, Kane, and they will need me to translate."

"You will like Ruthe, I think. We are alike in many ways."

"It wouldn't bother you, Kane, if I did?" Jaime asked him carefully.

"He's not my enemy anymore, Jaime."

Jaime glanced at him curiously.

"You seem different, Kane. Lighter than the last time I saw you."

"I am, Jaime. Shai's mercy, I'm alive, the feud is ended, my clan is safe and my beautiful oath still enjoys the sight of my face. Now you are all here, my good friends, and I couldn't ask for anything better."

The End

Hey, Everyone. I had great fun posting this story. I'm glad I did it. I promise I will be putting something together before too long. Thanks for reading. -Harp